The present invention relates generally to the design and configuration of mechanical devices, and more specifically to a new and useful utility tray adapted to be mounted in the interior of an automobile into a securing socket, such as its auxiliary power outlet, also commonly referred to as a cigarette lighter.
With automobile travel being ubiquitous in modern times, an increasing number and diverse amount of activities are carried out while individuals are in their cars. Fast food restaurant chains, for example, litter the landscape, and the practice of eating in the automobile has become extremely commonplace. Many automobiles now come equipped with multimedia players (e.g., DVD viewers) and a plethora of device interfaces (e.g., USB inputs). As a result, more work can be carried out while inside of the automobile.
Because most automobiles are designed primarily for traveling between geographically distant locations, simple workspaces are often difficult to incorporate into the design. Therefore, many automobile owners can have difficulty with finding suitable surfaces areas on which to place food, computers, papers, and the like. Some drive-in restaurants provide tray tables that attach to or hook onto the door or window of the automobile for use while parked at the restaurant. However, such simple solutions do not provide portability, maneuverability, adjustability, and or protection from the elements. For example, rain can make the prospect of leaving food on a tray table outside of the car interior undesirable, as the food can become soggy, or the interior of the automobile and its occupants can be exposed to the elements. Such trays also cannot be positioned over one or more persons' laps so as to provide protection from dropped food items, and may often conflict with the design of the automobile's interior when hung on the inside of the car door or window. Thus, adjustability and maneuverability are impinged, and it is demonstrated that a new and useful device is needed that will provide automobile occupants with a convenient utility tray surface area and mounting system that is adjustable and universal in its application. Furthermore, there is a need for a utility tray and universal mounting system that will permit temporary use of a work area within an automobile that may be stored and carried by the vehicle occupant when not in use.
Furthermore, some prior art solutions to these problems have provided for small, somewhat-adjustable tray surfaces for mounting in the interior of the vehicle by some manner. However, many of these solutions provide a small amount of surface area for use by the automobile occupant in order to save space. This small amount of surface area can be problematic when the vehicle occupants purchase multi-item meals, or generally when a tray surface is needed for many individual items. Therefore, a solution is needed that will provide increased storage area and usable space without further inhibiting the use of the interior features of the automobile, obstructing or preventing normal usage of any seating area within the vehicle, or impinging on its ability to be mounted universally.
The following patents were considered as relevant, but do not disclosed the invention claimed herein: U.S. Pat. No. 1,261,363 to Crist, U.S. Pat. No. 2,636,633 to Carlson, U.S. Pat. No. 2,707,141 to Witter, U.S. Pat. No. 3,039,616 to Proffit, U.S. Pat. No. 4,619,386 to Richardson, U.S. Pat. No. 4,852,499 to Ozols, U.S. Pat. No. 5,106,003 to Ma, U.S. Pat. No. 5,414,770 to Wang, U.S. Pat. No. 6,317,497 to Ou, U.S. Pat. No. 6,971,527 to Chandaria, and U.S. Pat. No. 7,635,112 to Lin.